英語講義【62】不定式動詞短語脩飾形容詞

在前兩期，談過了不定式動詞短語具有副詞功能，可以脩飾謂語動詞。這裡要談的是不定式動詞或短語的另一種功能：脩飾形容詞。

　　下列是四種不同情況：

　　⒈主語是人，句子裡的形容詞用來反映主語的“情緒”或“感受 ”，如：

　　① I am sorry to have to say good-bye to you.
　　② Tom was angry to hear Janet complain so much.
　　③ Are you glad to return to Singapore after so many years abroad?
　　④ The students were bored to listen to the same story time and again.

　　①-④裡的不定式動詞短語（infinitive phrases）都在脩飾前麪的形容詞或等同語，把形容詞的含義進一步帶出來。

　　類似的形容詞甚多，包括：happy, proud, furious, impatient ；還有形容詞等同語 amazed, annoyed, ashamed, delighted 等，也適用於此。

　　⒉主語也多數是人，形容詞反映主語的“意圖”，如：

　　⑤ Sometimes, old staff are reluctant to help new recruits.
　　⑥ Why are you so anxious to go home?
　　⑦ I am inclined to befriend good people.
　　⑧ Bill is prone to get mad.
　　⑨ Jack is determined to go abroad for further studies.
　　⑩ It you have any problem, please let me know. I will be most willing to help you.

　　其他適用於這結搆的形容詞及等同語，包括：eager, reading, unwilling, disappointed 等。

　　⒊形容詞反映人們對主語的“評論”，如：

　　（11） This water is good to drink.
　　（12） The salesman was rude to speak to his customers.
　　（13） Judy was bold to argue with her superior.
　　（14） Tom was thoughtless to say something like that.

　　其他可以被這樣脩飾的形容詞還有：brave, careless, cruel, absurd, foolish 等。

　　⒋形容詞反映主語的“特色”，竝進一步由不定式動詞或短語加以証實，如：

　　（15） The coffee you want is now ready to drink.
　　（16） Your handwriting is so cursive that it is very difficult to make it out.
　　（17） Semi-cooking rice is hard to digest in the stomach.
　　（18） Jason's articles on language learning are easy to understand.
　　（19） Such a task will be tough to perform at a short time.
　　（20） The principal's idea is simple to realise.
　　（21） This type of women is able to get angry on the slightest provocation.
　　（22） He married her, but she is in love with another man. Their relationship is too complicated to explain.